Sum up your religious belief

[Abogado del Diablo]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

Who says Hitler didn't have good intentions? It is only because there is a relative position that says that he didn't that this is said. Certainly about 65 years ago many people thought he had good intentions. Their relative versus ours. As "we won", our relative position is the opinion that triumphs. If Hitler had won, other people would be lauding a different relative position - that of Hitler's good intentions as a shining example to all.

In the recent documentary "The Fog of War" former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara talks at length about his involvement in Gen. Curtis LeMay's decision to firebomb Japan that including incendiary bombing of Tokyo that killed nearly 100,000 people in a single night. According to McNamara, LeMay told him that had the U.S. lost the war he and LeMay would have been tried as war criminals. McNamara then asks: "Why is it only a war crime if you lose?"

[Mus Zibii]

Errol Morris is a brilliant documentary-guy. Michael Moore should cut his own tongue out and study at the temple of Morris.

[I, Brian]

Indeed, the victors try the losers and claim moral superiority, all in a very relative manner.

[Abogado del Diablo]

Originally Posted by Vajradhara

if i had to sum up my religious belifes, there are several things that i could say... so here's how i'd say it:


have you eaten your rice gruel today? good, now go and wash your bowl.

The word "belief" doesn't mean anything to me, but I would sum up the meaning of my spirituality with:

"Know thyself."

Abogado del Diablo

[mandrill]

Hmmm ... this is a tough one because I tend to collect quotes .. so many good ones that speak to me.

I also don't have a religious 'belief' - I have a lifestyle, a course I try to follow based, in part, on personal experiences that have convinced me it is a valid course and, in no less part, what is aesthetically pleasing to me .. in my neverending quest to raise my life to an art form.

But .. I guess these might come closest to what I embrace in my daily life:

"The art of a warrior is to balance the terror of being a man with the wonder of being a man"

"The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge, while an ordinary man takes everything as a blessing or as a curse."

"For an average man, the world is weird because if he's not bored with it, he's at odds with it. For a warrior, the world is weird because it is stupendous, awesome, mysterious, unfathomable. A warrior must assume responsibility for being here in this marvelous world, in this marvelous time."

And, of course, there's the ever-classic:

"To fashion stars out of dog dung, that is the Great Work"

[ISFP]

let us go on our way with piety and love
let us always be mindful

when you ask to see Truth, what can i show you but where it is we now sit?

i make an effort to realize these ideals in everday life- being loving towards others, and realizing every moment as potentially meaningful or sacred. even 'simple' things like this are a challenge sometimes, but often simply making the effort to be mindful of them is important.

[KnightoftheRose]

Love, Honor, and the Courage to stand by your Ideals.

Defend the meek, Stand for Righteousness, and Remain Strong in the Face of Adversity.

And

Just as it is the wave which wears down the stone, it is love which wears down hate.



Heh, maybe these aren't particularly deep, but they appeal to me because I'm into chivalry...(I think I read one too many fairy tales in my childhood ...)

[www.telic21.org]

Change, change, and evolve!

A Process Deist paraphrase of John Shelby Spong: Live fully, love wastefully, and enhance becoming.

[ISFP]

Originally Posted by www.telic21.org

Live fully, love wastefully, and enhance becoming.

wouldn't it be more spiritually responsible to not waste love? and how is love ever wasted, anyway?

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by Vajradhara

Namaste all,

on another forum, this topic was introduced and produced a fairly typical response. as this forum is more diverse, i was curious how it would work here.

i'll go first.


if i had to sum up my religious belifes, there are several things that i could say... so here's how i'd say it:


have you eaten your rice gruel today? good, now go and wash your bowl.

Sit in the back pew, you get the best view. Fight hard, love even harder.

And never let a stranger walk away with an empty hand, stomach or empty heart...Else you'll burn for it, from the second the opportunity is lost.

Every life is more precious than your own. And your life is pretty special. Imagine that!?

v/r

Q

[www.telic21.org]

Originally Posted by ISFP

wouldn't it be more spiritually responsible to not waste love? and how is love ever wasted, anyway?

It can't be.....that's the point. Love is not a limited resource. We can spread it around "like there's no tomorrow" and we can always create more. No need to practice conservation when it comes to love.... offer it to family, friend, enemy, neighbor, and stranger.

[mirrorinthefog]

Believe those who are seeking truth. Doubt those who find it.
-Andre Gide-
The best and safest thing is to keep balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are a wise man.
-Euripides-
Some people weave burlap into the fabric of our lives, and some weave gold thread. Both contribute to make the whole picture beautiful and unique.
-Anonymous-
Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.
-Voltaire-
That probably makes no sense at all, but that's me in a nutshell .

[Vajradhara]

Namaste all,

great replies thus far!

it's interesting, to me at least, to go throught he process of trying to pare down the various teachings of the religions into how it really is for folks on a day to day basis.

[ISFP]

yeah. seems like we have alot of personal philosophies that could be ZEn at heart. cool.

[earl]

A couple from Shunryu Suzuki:

"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind, there are few."

"At high noon or in the dark, moonless night there is a light. Can you see it? And, by the way, who are you?"

Take care, Earl